When Doug and Barbara Wilson discuss their late daughter Anthea, they remember her as a 'born rescuer'.
'If there was a cat or bird with a broken wing, she’d bring it home. She was just that sort of child,' Barbara recalls.
As a young adult, Anthea had rushed to the aid of a stranger in a car park who required urgent medical assistance. The young man had broken his leg and Anthea drove him to the nearby hospital to ensure he received the care he needed.
Several years after that incident, Anthea decided to pursue her passion for nursing while working in aged care. Over time, she completed her university studies and found her calling – emergency nursing. The chaos and danger of the emergency ward didn’t faze Anthea, even when violent or aggressive patients were involved.
'When she passed, a lot of her nursing colleagues contacted us and said how good she was. She was the go-to nurse if there was a problem or someone was acting up, she’d go and sort them out,' Doug says.
As Doug and Barbara navigated the shock and grief of losing their daughter, they considered how they might like to honour Anthea’s memory. During Anthea’s own time as a patient in the intensive care unit at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, her parents were struck with the quality of her care.
We wanted to do something that would help us and help others remember Anthea and the fact that she was here, and she made a difference.
Doug and Barbara Wilson
Benefactors of the Anthea Jane Wilson Scholarship
The couple researched Australia’s best nursing schools and determined that Deakin – ranked in the world’s top 30 for nursing studies – was the right fit. With the assistance of the Deakin Advancement team, the Anthea Jane Wilson Scholarship was created. It is awarded to a postgraduate nursing student each year and covers half of their program fees.
The Wilsons’ generous gift has been structured so that the donation will generate investment returns, enabling the scholarship to be awarded in perpetuity. 'I get goosebumps thinking about it. Here is something for Anthea that will go on and on and on. And that means an awful lot to Barb and me,' explains Doug.
The couple have recently visited the University and met David Cowan, the scholarship’s first recipient. It was an emotional moment.
'We've had lots of tears, but they’re happy tears. And I think that's the thing about this scholarship – it's a happy thing,' Doug says.
Mr Cowan has a particular interest in the role of nurses in providing critical care. He has dedicated himself to his work at the Austin Hospitals ICU and puts himself on the line daily through his work on the COVID ward. His own educational journey hasn’t been easy, as he has navigated a cancer diagnosis and study, all while making his work to help others a priority.
The funds from the Anthea Jane Wilson Scholarship have been an extraordinary help. It has allowed me to focus on my work and my studies without the extra burden of monetary strain. Thank you very much for this blessing.
David Cowan
Inaugural recipient of the Anthea Jane Wilson Scholarship
For Doug and Barbara, who are childhood sweethearts and have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, the experience of establishing the scholarship has been an affirming one. It has also encouraged others to consider how they can leave their own legacy.
'A lot of people who we have shared this story with have said, "Oh, that's a great idea,"' Doug says.
'I would encourage anybody who is in a position to do something meaningful and ongoing to think of Deakin University. If you've been an engineer and that's your passion, then you've got the opportunity to do an engineering scholarship. It could be a marketing scholarship, or a nursing scholarship like ours. Deakin offers many opportunities.'